SAUGUS — For many members of the Saugus softball team, Thursday was their first taste of state tournament action. From playing a team you don’t really know, to the pressure of defending a higher seed, it’s just a different feel.
In the end, the Sachems will have to settle for a learning experience. No. 31 Saugus was eliminated from the Division 3 tournament after a 13-4 loss to No. 34 Bristol-Plymouth RVT.
Defeat aside, coach Steve Almquist was all smiles walking off the diamond for the last time this season.
“The future looks bright,” Almquist said. “If you had asked me at the beginning of the year if we would’ve won the division, made the tournament again, and hosted a tournament game, I would’ve been a little bit skeptical.”
A bright future, indeed. Saugus has 10 underclassmen – three of whom are eighth graders – and finished the season 11-10.
“I’m proud of them, and they should be proud of themselves for the season they put together,” Almquist said. “No one expected us to be here.”
But they were, and jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first inning. Kaitlyn Pugh scored on a passed ball, Danica Schena plated Devany Millerick, and Sydney Deleidi hit a single to score Ava Rogers.
“We jumped on them right away. We scored three runs in the first inning and took a lead,” Almquist said. “We just couldn’t hold it and it was all kind of downhill from there.”
Bristol scored four runs in the second and six in the third. Pitcher Taylor Deleidi did her job throwing strikes, but fielding mistakes plagued the Sachems.
“We just have a hard time making, sometimes, the routine play,” Almquist said. “We give them that extra out that always ends up paying.”
He’s right. In the four-run second inning, Taylor Deleidi retired the first two batters in about 30 seconds, but a fielding mistake gave Bristol that extra opportunity.
“We’re not at the point where we can give a team four or five outs in an inning,” Almquist said. “We can’t recover.”
Saugus never quit, getting one back in the third with Maria Clara Silva plating Millerick with a single (11-4).
“They were cheering all game, pulling for each other,” Almquist said. “The kids fought hard.”
Not knowing much about the enemy, Almquist and his staff watched one of Bristol’s games on YouTube Wednesday night. Bristol upped its lead to 13-4 in the fifth inning, and even Almquist credited the hard hitting on display.
“We saw they could hit,” Almquist said of his film study. “They actually hit a little better than I thought, and we fielded not as good as I had hoped.”
Abby Enwright relieved Taylor Deleidi for the final two innings, allowing zero runs to give her offense a fighting chance.
Overall, Almquist liked what he saw from both pitchers.
“They did what they needed to,” Almquist said. “You couldn’t have asked for more of them today.”
But in the end, Bristol made a throw to first for the game’s final out. Almquist and his girls gathered in the outfield one final time – hugs and smiles included.
“I’m very proud of the kids,” Almquist said. “It just wasn’t our day.”
A bright spot was Millerick, who made play after play at shortstop. Almquist said he wasn’t surprised in the least, calling her “a rock” in the infield.
“Not at all,” Almquist said. “She’s one of our NEC All Stars. [She] works hard, is much improved over last year, and is one of our leaders.”
